1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for controlling a marine vessel and, more particularly, to a method which allows the operator of the marine vessel to make certain choices regarding operating parameters of a marine propulsion device in order to allow the vessel to be controlled even though a throttle lever has been disabled or partially disabled.
2. Background of the Invention
Those skilled in the art of marine vessels and their propulsion and control systems are familiar with many different devices that allow the operator of a is marine vessel to select a transmission gear position and engine operating speed. Typically this control is performed through the use of a throttle lever, or handle, which allows the operator to select an engine operating speed and gear position. The gear positions typically include forward, neutral and reverse gears and the engine operating speed can be selected between wide open throttle (WOT) in forward gear position and wide open throttle in reverse gear position. Some traditional throttle levers use push-pull cables that allow the operator of the marine vessel to mechanically move a throttle control mechanism and a gear selection mechanism associated with the one or more marine propulsion devices used on the marine vessel. These marine propulsion devices can be outboard motors, sterndrives, or any other suitable type of device. More recently, digital throttle and shift (DTS) systems have been developed which allow the throttle handle to be electrically connected to the throttle mechanism and gear selected mechanism without the need for actual cables to be extended between the helm and the marine propulsion devices. Certain types of control systems for marine vessels use a CAN bus to transmit commands between the throttle lever at the helm and the actual mechanisms which control the throttle position of the engine and the transmission.
In addition, many different types of displays are known to those skilled in the art for providing information to an operator of a vehicle, such as an automobile, truck, or marine vessel. The known displays typically provide information relating to the operation of the vehicle, including information relating to operational parameters such as engine speed, vehicle velocity, transmission position, and various other monitored variables associated with the operation of the vehicle and its engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,933, which issued to Santis on Aug. 14, 1984, describes a steering console providing digital readout displays. The console is intended for use with tractors and provides digital readout displays activated by a is keyboard strategically located within easy finger reach of the operator. A multitude of vital tractor functions are automatically continuously monitored and, simply by touch of appropriate colored switch pads on the keyboard, the operator at will changes the digital displays to the different functions he desires to read.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,550, which issued to Umebayashi et al. on Aug. 26, 1986, describes an electric signal transmission system on a road vehicle. Signals between a control board mounted on a steering wheel, but held in stationary state irrespective of a rotation of the steering wheel, and an electric controller disposed at a position remote from a steering mechanism are described. The control board is supported by a steering driveshaft through a toothed wheel mechanism, so that it remains stationary regardless of a rotation of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,072, which issued to Komuro on Aug. 18, 1987, describes an instrument display system for a motorcycle. It displays various vehicle monitoring readings having a lightweight liquid crystal plate element mounted on the vehicle front within easy view of the motorcycle operator and a control unit for the plate element mounted closer to the motorcycle's center of stability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,783, which issued to Burgess et al. on Dec. 20, 1988, describes a vehicular function controller having alterable function designators. It includes a plurality of switches, each switch adapted to control a plurality of vehicular functions. Each switch has associated therewith a display element for indicating which of the functions that switch is controlling. The switch further includes a microprocessor based controller which mediates which designator each display element will exhibit as well as which vehicular function a given switch will control. The system is readily adapted to a menu-driven mode of operation, and the switches may be mounted upon the steering wheel of a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,695, which issued to Lahiff on Nov. 25, 1997, describes a vehicle information display on a steering wheel surface. The wheel is provided with a thin reconfigurable display such as an LED, an LCD, an electroluminescent display, or other types of reconfigurable thin displays. Vehicle instrument information such as speedometer, fuel level, vehicle temperature, engine speed, etc. is provided on this display.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,986, which issued to Gaynor et al. on Aug. 29, 2000, discloses an idle speed control system for a marine propulsion system. It controls the amount of fuel injected into the combustion chamber of an engine cylinder as a function of the error between a selected target speed and an actual speed. The speed can be engine speed measured in revolutions per minute or, alternatively, it can be boat speed measured in nautical miles per hour or kilometers per hour. By comparing target speed to actual speed, the control system selects an appropriate pulse width length for the injection of fuel into the combustion chamber and regulates the speed by increasing or decreasing the pulse width.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,771, which issued to Buckley et al. on Aug. 14, 2001, discloses a control system for a marine vessel. It incorporates a marine propulsion system that can be attached to a marine vessel and connected in signal communication with a serial communication bus and a controller. A plurality of input devices and output devices are also connected in signal communication with a communication bus and a bus access manager, such as a CAN Kingdom network, is connected in signal communication with a controller to regulate the to incorporation of additional devices to the plurality of devices in signal communication with the bus, whereby the controller is connected in signal communication with each of the plurality of devices on the communication bus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,269, which issued to Gaynor on Aug. 28, 2001, discloses an operator display panel control by throttle mechanism switch manipulation. It is provided with a plurality of buttons and a control unit that interprets the state of the various buttons and switches in different ways, depending on the state of a first operating parameter. The first operating parameter can be the gear selector position or the status of a manual selector switch or push button.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,122, which issued to Gaynor et al. on May 7, 2002, discloses a method for initializing a marine vessel control system. An auto detect system is provided for a marine vessel in which the various associations and relationships between marine propulsion devices, gauges, sensors, and other components are quickly and easily determined. The system performs a method which automatically determines the number of marine propulsion devices on the marine vessel and, where needed, prompts the boat builder or marine vessel outfitter to enter various commands to identify particular marine propulsion devices with reference to their location on the marine vessel and to identify certain other components, such as gauges, with reference to both their location at a particular helm station and their association with a particular marine propulsion device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,607, which issued to Gonring et al. on Jul. 2, 2002, discloses a throttle position sensor with improved redundancy and high resolution. The sensor is provided with a plurality of sensing elements which allow the throttle position sensor to provide a high resolution output to measure the physical position of a manually movable member, such as a throttle handle, more accurately than would otherwise be possible. The plurality of sensor significantly increases the redundancy of the sensor and allows its operation even if one of the sensing elements is disabled.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,396, which issued to Into on Feb. 11, 2003, describes a boat speed control. The boat includes a motor having a throttle control lever coupled to a throttle of the motor and provides for stable and predictable control of the speed of the boat. The control system includes a position detector configured to detect the position of the throttle control lever and to generate a first signal representative of a target speed of the motor. It also includes a sensor which generates a second signal representative of the actual speed of the motor and an actuator is adapted to control the throttle. A servo controller generates an output to adjust the position of the actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,643, which issued to Suhre et al. on Mar. 9, 2004, discloses an adaptive calibration strategy for a manually controlled throttle system. The procedure involves the steps of manually placing a throttle handle in five preselected positions that correspond with mechanical detents of the throttle control mechanism. At each of the five positions, one or more position indicating signals are received by a microprocessor of a controller and stored for future use. The five positions comprise wide open throttle (WOT) in forward gear, wide open throttle in reverse gear, the shift position between neutral and forward gear, the shift position between neutral and reverse gear, and the midpoint of the neutral gear selection range.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,885,919, which issued to Wyant et al. on Apr. 26, 2005, discloses a method for controlling the operation of a marine vessel. A process is provided by which the operator of a marine vessel can invoke the operation of a computer program that investigates various alternatives that can improve the range of the marine vessel. The distance between the current location of the marine vessel and a desired way point is determined and compared to a range of the marine vessel which is determined as a function of available fuel, vessel speed, fuel usage rate, and engine speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,363, which issued to Gaynor et al. on Nov. 28, 2006, discloses a method for displaying marine vessel information for an operator. The method selects a chosen visual display based on the magnitudes of is one or more vessel-related parameters, such as engine speed, gear selector position, or vessel velocity. Based on the selected marine vessel operating condition, the chosen visual display is selected and the contents of that chosen visual display are presented on an information display device, such as a liquid crystal display or other type of monitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,247,066, which issued to Harada et al. on Jul. 24, 2007, describes a remote operation system for an outboard motor. It includes a remote control box installed at a cockpit of the boat and a lever attached to a support shaft that is rotatably accommodated in the remote control box for being manipulated by an operator. It also comprises a plurality of sensors, such as a potentiometer and a rotary encoder provided to generate outputs indicative of an angle of rotation of the support shaft through the lever manipulation, respectively, and a control unit which controls operation of a throttle actuator and a shift actuator based on at least one of the outputs of the sensor. It thereby improves reliability and enables continued regulation of throttle opening and change of shift position even if a failure occurs in one of the sensors.
Information relating to the types of gauges with which the present invention can be used is provided in a document titled “SmartCraft Gauges” published by Mercury Marine in the United States with a copyright notice of 2008. Although many other types of gauges and displays can be used in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the gauges shown in this manual are particularly adaptable for use with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
In current types of engine control systems which use electrical signals, between a throttle handle and components which actually change parameters of the engine, various types of sensors in the throttle handle are typically used to create the signals which allow a microprocessor to make the appropriate adjustments to change parameters regarding the engine's operation. If a failure occurs with one of the sensors, the operator of a marine vessel may be deprived of any practical way to control the operation of the engine so that the marine vessel can be taken to a place where appropriate repairs can be made. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a control system for a marine vessel could provide a system that allows the operator of the marine vessel alternative methods for controlling the operation of a marine propulsion device in a manner that is sufficient to allow the marine vessel to be driven to a place where the malfunctions can be corrected. It would also be significantly beneficial if this type of control system could be provided without the need for additional equipment which could significantly increase the cost of the marine propulsion system.